The Tampa Bay Lightning and right wing Teddy Purcell still may need arbitration to get a contract done, but general manager Steve Yzerman still has hope it will not get that far. In fact, Yzerman said Thursday night that after a "good, long" conversation with Purcell's agent Kent Hughes, the sides are "not considerably far apart."

"I don't think it's out of the question," Yzerman said of getting something done before the July 20 arbitration hearing in Toronto.

Yzerman still would not say "with 100 percent certainty" he would live with whatever might come out of a hearing because "we don't know what an arbitrator will rule. We think we do." But he did sound a positive tone overall.

"I fully expect to see Teddy in the lineup in September and have a contract done," Yzerman said. "Whether it's through the arbitration process or before that, we'll have a contract in place next week."

"As I told the club sports director Igor Matushkin nothing yet clear, but for me it's a surprise, although the NHL scouts certainly carefully watched for him. I think Dime would not hurt to have a couple of seasons in the [K]HL. Still, it's pretty serious step forward. If he will succeed - please, but I really want to stay Korobov.